Cannellini Bean Recipes With Ham Food

HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven (you can also use a thick-bottomed soup pot, but may need to stir more often to prevent burning) over medium heat for about 3 minutes or so, until it's nice and hot. Add the oil and the onions. Cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped celery and carrots, and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Add the beans, followed by the water. Increase the heat to high.
• Add the bay leaves, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, paprika, and chicken bouillon paste. (If you don't have chicken bouillon paste, simply use chicken stock in place of the water.) Bring to a boil.
• Stir in the ham. I like to cut it into big shards/shreds for extra texture. (Sarah likes hers cubed and orderly though. I won't judge either way!) If you're using a ham hock instead of ham, you can add it in now.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup is at a somewhat energetic simmer--it should always be at a low bubble. Cook for 4-5 hours, stirring periodically. If the soup isn't cooking down, you may want to increase the heat to medium. Every stove is different, so don't just set it and forget it. Periodically check liquid levels.
• In the last hour of cooking, add the fresh parsley, and cook for another hour. It's done when the beans and carrots are tender, and the soup is thickened. If you used a ham hock, fish out any bones, and chop up any large pieces of meat and skin (keeping the skin is optional) that don't break down during the cooking process before serving.
• This soup is quite forgiving. If it ends up too salty for your tastes, just add water, and lightly mash some of the beans to release their starchiness and re-thicken the soup. If you are reheating the soup and there is not enough liquid, just add 1-2 cups of water to bring it back to your desired consistency.

CANNELLINI BEANS WITH HERBS AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the sage and thyme. Add the tomatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the beans. Simmer until the tomatoes are tender and the juices evaporate by half, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the prosciutto, being careful not to overcook the prosciutto. Season the beans, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the arugula or mixed baby greens over a platter. Spoon the beans over the greens and serve.

CANNELLINI BEANS

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl filled with water.
• *Soooooooooooo...if you didn't think yesterday to soak your beans you can do the "quick soak" method. Put the beans in a large pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Bring the beans to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat off and let the pot sit until the water cools down, then proceed as if you had soaked the beans overnight.
• Strain the beans from the soaking water. Put the beans in a large pot and cover generously with water. Add the onions, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, bay and slab bacon Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until all the beans are soft, about 1 hour. Add more water if it reduces too much. Test the beans for doneness by doing the 5 bean test. Bite into 5 beans, if they are all soft then they are done. Beans do not all cook at the same rate so the 5 bean test is important.
• When the beans pass the 5 bean test, remove the pot from the heat. Season the water generously with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. If using the beans right away, go ahead. If not using the beans right away, store them covered, in the refrigerator in their liquid.
• Beans, beans the musical fruit...

HAM AND BEAN SOUP WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• In a medium stock pot, saute ham in oil and butter until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, add onion, celery, carrots and garlic over medium heat, until vegetables are softened, not brown.
• Add chicken broth and seasonings; simmer 15-20 minutes.
• Stir in cannellini beans, spinach and parsley.
• Cook briefly just until spinach wilts, about 2-4 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• In a small bowl, combine eggs and Parmesan with a whisk, I like to temper the egg/cheese mixture by adding 2 Tablesppons of the hot liquid from the soup, to the egg/cheese and stir quickly after each addition, then add egg mixture into the soup and stir until smooth.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

ITALIAN CHICKEN WITH HAM, BASIL & BEANS

Steps:

• Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pinch off 8 sprigs from the basil (about 3 leaves each per sprig) and lay one on top of each chicken thigh. Wrap each thigh in a piece of ham, with the ends tucked underneath.
• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin over two of the burners on the hob. Add the chicken and fry for about 4 mins or until the ham is just crisped and the chicken is lightly golden. Turn and repeat.
• Meanwhile, cut the garlic bulbs in half around the middle and halve the tomatoes if small, quarter them if they're big. Pick the leaves from the rest of the basil. Once the chicken has browned on both sides, add all of the tomatoes, half of the basil and the wine. Season then cover with foil and leave to cook slowly in the oven for 40 mins.
• Take out of the oven and turn the heat up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Remove the foil from the pan and stir the beans into the tomatoey juices. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 30 mins until the tomatoes, chicken and garlic are starting to crisp around the edges and the chicken is very tender. Just before serving, tear the remaining basil roughly then stir through or scatter over the pan.

CANNELLINI BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Fry the shallots, garlic, carrot, celery, leeks and bacon in the oil for 7 minutes, until softened but not brown.
• Pour in the stock and add the bay leaves and oregano.
• Season and bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
• Tip in the beans, re-cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Swirl the chopped parsley into the soup.
• Serve sprinkled with a little extra parsley.